Museo della Mezzadria

Discovering the ancient rural and agricultural practice in this territory

Buonconvento

There's a place where you can see explained the rural world that has characterized, until the '60s, the Tuscan countryside, landscape and social life. Il Museo della Mezzadria or Sharecrop Museum, is situated along the medieval walls of Buonconvento, in an ancient farm whose primary structure remains unchanged. Its collection tells about the mezzadria, a form of agriculture in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on their portion of land (sharecrop).

The exhibit features vintage photos, original objects, music, videos and archive documents, as well as a multi-media stationing explaining the typical figures of the farm, the protagonists of the sharecrop.

On the first floor, the rooms are dedicated to the landscape, the farm, the threshing, the mill and the rural village, while on the second floor, you can see rebuilt the setting of the typical farmhouse, where objects and activities of the peasant tradition are displayed.The museum also offers educational workshops for children.

The ideal destination for those looking to discover the essence of a medieval village in the Siena area is Buonconvento, historically enclosed by a defensive brick wall topped by a Lombard band that was built in 1379 on the orders of the Governors of Siena. ...